Tanzania, 17 January 2014: The Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Arrives in Dar es Salaam on 18 January

The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, British High Commission, Tanzania Olympic Committee and UNICEF Team up to Stop Violence Against Children in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, 17 January 2014 - The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton will arrive in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, 18 January. The actual run is planned for Sunday, 19 January, and will kick off from the National Stadium at 2.00 pm to State House where it will be presented to H.E. President Jakaya Kikwete. It is expected that over 300 people will be involved in the 12.4 km race.

Tanzania Olympic Committee’s Secretary General, Filbert Bayi, the British High Commissioner to Tanzania, Dianna Patricia Melrose, and the UNICEF Tanzania Representative, Dr. Jama Gulaid, will kick off the Relay, and be amongst the guests at State House.

This year, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation and UNICEF have launched a ground-breaking partnership globally. In Tanzania, the event represents a unique opportunity for the Tanzania Olympic Committee, the British High Commission, UNICEF and other partners to harness the power of sport to help children grow up healthy, happy and safe.

The Queen’s Baton relay in Tanzania will be themed around the slogan: “Stop Violence Against Children, Let Them Play!”.

Speaking ahead of the Queen’s Baton Relay, British High Commissioner Dianna Melrose said: “The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games is teaming up with UNICEF to transform children’s lives across the Commonwealth. It's the first time a charity affiliation to the Games has taken place. I am delighted the UK is supporting this excellent cause. Violence against children is a worrying issue and we must do all we can to stop it.”

“The aim is to use the event as a catalyst to create awareness and better understanding of the issue of violence against children amongst a more general audience in Tanzania”, says the Tanzania Olympic Committee’s Secretary General, Filbert Bayi.

The Tanzania Violence Against Children Study, released by the Government and UNICEF in 2011 revealed that in Tanzania, violence affects a majority of children, everywhere. Some of the key findings are:

one in three girls and one in seven boys in Tanzania experiences sexual violence before the age of eighteen;

most sexual assaults occur at home or in school - and children often know their sexual attacker;

rates of physical violence are alarmingly high, nearly three out of four boys and girls experience being punched, whipped or kicked during their childhood, while one quarter of all children are emotionally abused;

the majority of children do not report their experience, few seek services, and even fewer actually receive any care, treatment or support.

“Violence Against Children is an important public health problem in the country. Each of us has an important role to play in improving the safety of the home, school, and other spaces where children spend most of their time”, says the UNICEF Representative in Tanzania, Dr. Jama Gulaid.

The public has been invited to participate in and support the relay runners as they pass through the streets of Dar es Salaam. Ahead of the run on Sunday, the Queen’s Baton will visit the Children’s Cancer Ward at Muhimbili National Hospital.

Tanzania is the twenty-ninth stop for the Queen’s Baton run on its route through 70 Commonwealth countries and territories, covering over 190,000 km. The Queen’s Baton Relay was launched on October 9th 2013 from Buckingham Palace in London, with the international route starting in India the following day. Prior to arriving in Tanzania, the Baton has visited Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Its next stop will be the Seychelles.

The Baton will be taken to Zanzibar on 20th January, the first time the Queen’s Baton Relay has visited the island. It will be relayed through the streets of Stone Town, before being presented to H.E. President Shein.

The Commonwealth Baton will reach England on May 31 2014 for its final lap to Glasgow and the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on 23 July 2014.